Improvement in machinery for cleaning tobacco-leaves



sufficiena as all persons who use the article ence 'from the loss of their teeth byrconstantly means-#one pair, B B, turning toward each UNITED STATES VPATENT OivrlclO JAMES E. ALBEN, OFGRANVILLE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING TOBACCO-LEAVES.

`,Specifirarinn forming part .of Letters Patent No. 5,8 l 7. dated October 3, 1848.'

Cylindrical Tobacco-Brush, which is de! scribed as follows, reference being 'had to the annexed. drawings of the same, making part l of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal. section of the machine. f

Similar letters in the several figures refer to corresponding parts.

` The present mode of brushing tobacco by hand is found to be not only a Very tedious` and expensive operation, but altogether inin the form of chewing-tobacco sadly experigrinding the grit thereon, ,which remains onA the leaf during the process of curing it for want of the application of proper mechanical means to remoye it, such as my machine is designed to furnish.

The nature of my machine consists in combining and arranging in a suitable frame, A, four cylinder-brushes, B B C C, inppairs, the axis of one pair being parallel andat right angles to the other pair, which are likewise propelled and made to turn simultaneously by suitablegear of bands and pulleys or other other, and the other pair, C C, toward each otherthe irst pair, B B, opening and spreading the leaf` of tobacco and partially brushing it transversely from the center to the sides, and the other pair, C C, thenreceiving it between them, and brushingv it effectually on both sides simultaneously, the tobacco being introduced to the said brushes by a horizontal plane or table, D, and discharged or conducted to a receiver by an inclined plane, E, between which planes the revolving cleaning-brushes C C are placed, the spreadingbrushes beingi arranged over the introducing or conducting. table or plane, upon which the tobacco-leaf is spread, the cleaning-brushes being as long as the width ofthe leaf of tobacco, and the spreading-brushes being much shorter. The frame A of this machinemay be made of an oblong or other shape, and vof any convenient size and suitable material.

The introducing or spreading table D may be horizontal or slightly inclined.

I The discharging or conducting plane E may ,represented in Fig. l, or in any other convenient way, having their axes in the same horizontal plane and above the table, and made to turn from the center toward the sides, of the table at any desired velocity,l the circumference'of the brushes touching the table slightly.

The revolving cleaning-brushes for brushing off all grit,-f histdint,n or other-injurieus-sub stances from the'tobacco-leaf simultaneously on both lsides are made of any suitable size and material-say-fro1n n ine to twelve inches long, three inches diameterwith `a speed of about three or four hundred revolutionsper minute, or any desired velocity suitable for the purpose'intended,` arranged at or near the middle of the table, with their axes in the same vertical plane-one above and the other below the tabl e-and revolving in contrary directions toward each other, with their 1 peripheries touching slightlyin a line nearly coincident' with the horizontal plane of the table, the motion of ,the brushes beingl produced by bands and pulleys `arranged in the manner represented in Fig. 1, or some other convenient mode for producing the required result.

The power to propel the machine may be manual, steannorother power applied by means of a cranlror pulleyor otherwise, toa

driving-shaft, such as that represented at'Fig. l, onwhich there may ,be pulleys and band s l or other more suitable gearing,"y

The grit from the lower 'brush must be dis-A .charged in a receiver, G, below the -iuclined plane, and the' grit fromthe upper brush, C, must be thrown into areceiver, H, placed upon the rear part of the table.

- The leaf of Lebacco to be opened,'spread, and. brushedv is first laid upon the table D and brought in contact by hand with the peripheries of the revolving brushes B B, which are caused to turn at the rate o three or four hundred revolutions per minute. These open and What I claim as my invention, .and wish to spread the leaf from 'the center to the sides, secure by Letters Patent, iS- and partially brush it and free it of some of The mode of spreading and brushing tobacco its impurities. It is then Areceived between by rotary brushes, in the manner substantially the two cleaning-cylinders C C, which brush as above set forth. p the upper and under surface efeetually as it April 9, 1847. Y

passes through between them, and delivers it JAS. E. ALLEN.

upo'n the conducting or discharging board E, Witnesses: which conducts it to the receiver. In this man- BENJ. C. COOKE. ner each leafof tobacco is treated. J. H. GOOCH. 

